


Better Late Than Never

by MagentasNightmare



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, DON'T LIKE - DON'T READ (I'm not changing what I write for anyone:), Dramatic, F/M, Lost Love, Lovey-Dovey, Merle and Andrea SMUT, Merle is very sick, Reconnecting with the woman he lost years before, Regret, Romantic Fluff, Sad, This one made me all blubbery. lol, Weepy, comfort and support, ge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:51:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9843569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagentasNightmare/pseuds/MagentasNightmare
Summary: Merle Dixon is facing a serious potential health crisis that leaves him with a need to make amends to the woman he let get away.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KrissyG927](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrissyG927/gifts).



_ **CHAPTER 1** _

_**~ Hey, Merle. Where have you been all weekend? Daryl called from Iraq last night, and I told him you'd be around on Friday if he called you. Call me back, so I know you're OK.** _

 

Merle was dry heaving over a bucket next to his bed again, the nausea was unreal, and nothing seemed to help. For weeks he'd been dizzy, nauseated and the headaches were like nothing he'd ever even heard of.

Carol was always so concerned about him, and his new health concerns weren't going to help at all in that regard. A sister-in-law like Carol was a special blessing in life, but the last thing he wanted was to worry her further while Daryl was overseas. Daryl had asked him to watch out for her while he was away and he was going to do that to the best of his abilities. Carol was already stressed with missing Daryl and caring for Sophia alone; she didn't need anything more to think of.

He dialed her number to calm her down and convince her that he was fine.

"Hello?"

"Carol, hey."

"Where have you been?"

"Just had a vicious stomach flu for the past couple days and I told Axel to call and let you know, but the bastard forgot!"

"Jesus! I was about to call the cops, Merle!"

"Sorry, honey."

"Are you still coming by for Sophia's birthday?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it."

"Did you manage to find that doll she wanted? If not I can have a look for it today."

"I picked it up a week ago, no worries. I can't believe my little Sophia's gonna be 3 in a week!"

"Time flies, right?"

"It sure does," he sighed.

"Do you need anything? I can bring you some food."

"No, Axel's looking out for me pretty good."

"He's a good one," she added.

"The best."

The conversation ended, and he hoped he wouldn't have to ruin Sophia's birthday with shitty news.

Merle hadn't told anyone except his roommate/employer Axel about his illness, and he planned to keep it that way as long as possible.

The stereotactic biopsy had taken him out of commission for three days straight, and he was only now able to get out of bed and walk around a little. The staples in his scalp itched, and he looked like a mess. It would still be two more days before the pathology would come back and he spent all the time he wasn't throwing up thinking of death.

Axel was bringing him his meals and helped him wash up for the first couple days; he was eternally grateful for that. Axel had been a good buddy for years, and he wondered how he ever got so lucky to have a boss who also turned out to be one of his best friends and also a guy who put a roof over his head.

Five years before, when he lost it all, and nobody felt much sympathy for him, Axel was there for him and never wavered.

Merle had lost Andrea fair and square from being irresponsible and from drinking too much, but lately, she was all he thought about. Now that his life appeared to be slipping through his fingers he found that she was on his mind day and night.

Regret was heavy on Merle's heart now that he may be running out of time. Part of him always dreamed that she'd find out how long he'd been sober and give him another shot but that was a particularly silly dream at the moment.

He lay back on his bed, feeling filthy and exhausted and typed her name into google for a laugh and saw just what he expected. Andrea was the success he knew she would be. He had avoided any information about her for years because he knew it would hurt to see her with someone new, surely she'd have someone amazing by now.

_**Andrea Harrison,** _

_**Criminal Defense Attorney** _

_**Black, Harrison & Douglas Law Firm** _

_**Atlanta, Georgia** _

Merle searched for her on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else he could maybe see a picture of her pretty smile. It hurt like hell when he found her Instagram, and he sat up in bed, trying not to weep like a kid. She was just as beautiful as when she was his, maybe, even more now, cause she looked happier without him.

There was no man in the pictures, but that didn't really mean anything. By the looks of things, she was still into fishing and had a new tattoo on her ankle, she went to a concert with her girlfriends and attended the wedding of her sister. He scanned through snapshots of the awesome life she was living Merle-free, and he had the most selfish need wash over him, he needed to see her again.

Merle knew it was a bad idea since the last time he'd seen her she was throwing him out, but he wanted to say he was sorry properly while he still could.

Andrea had stayed with him through a nightmare that lasted three years, and she tried so hard to help him. He needed to tell her how much that meant to him and that even though he didn't find the way while they were still together, her belief in him did finally help him in the end. Merle had been sober for 4 and a half years, and she was a big part of that, even if his sobriety came too late to save their relationship.

Merle got up and took a shower and some anti-nausea medicine and let the idea marinate. When he got out and looked at his scar and the staples he decided that he'd scare the shit out of her if he didn't cover it with a hat.

He put on some jeans and a black concert t-shirt with his leather jacket and searched the house for a beanie or a touque.

Axel walked in, just as he was leaving and asked what the hell he was thinking.

"You're not going out alone! You can't drive with your dizzy spells!" he exclaimed.

"I'm taking a cab," Merle explained.

"I'll drive you. Where are you going?"

Merle shuddered to think what Axel would say about his stupid plans, but he didn't have time to be bashful anymore.

"I need to see Andrea."

"What? No! Don't do that to yourself, please!"

"I have to, Axel."

"She might very well lose it on you, Merle. Don't you remember how it ended?"

"Of course, but I remember all the good stuff too, and I just wanna tell her I'm sorry."

"It's been years, Merle...why don't you just let it go?"

"Cause I don't want to be laying around dying in a few months with regrets. She can tell me to go fuck myself if she wants to but I need to see her face again, and I need to say I'm sorry."

"Merle..."

"Do you want to drive me or am I cabbing it?"

Axel sighed and shook his head.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Merle. In fact, this may be the dumbest thing you ever did."

"I'll go out with a bang then, right?" he chuckled.

"You don't even have the results yet, stop talking like that," Axel insisted.

"Just getting used to the idea, it might soften the blow a little on Wednesday."

 


	2. Chapter 2

_ **CHAPTER TWO** _

Axel drove him downtown to the high rise buildings and Merle adjusted the hat on his head trying to make sure it covered the massive shaved section of his hair and the god awful looking staples. The song he'd been playing all week on his iPod taunted him as he played it in the car, but feeling sad seemed so appropriate.

**Come up to meet you,**

**tell you I'm sorry** **  
** **You don't know how lovely you are** **  
  
** **I had to find you** **  
** **Tell you I need you** **  
** **Tell you I set you apart** **  
  
** **Tell me your secrets** **  
** **And ask me your questions** **  
** **Oh, let's go back to the start**

“Why do you keep playing that miserable song, Merle?”

“I like it.”

Axel sighed and shook his head as Merle fussed with his hat some more in the rearview mirror.

"You can't see anything, right?" he asked Axel when he pulled up outside Andrea's building. “I don't wanna scare her.”

"No, it's fine...do you think it's a good idea to show up at her work like this?"

"I don't know where she lives, and even if I did, I think that would freak her out more."

"I'll be right here, OK?"

"Thanks, man."

"Merle....don't take it to heart if she says something harsh. I don't want to see you hurt right now."

"It's OK. Whatever she says, I probably deserve it."

"Maybe the old Merle, but not the person you are now."

"It's OK."

Merle walked toward the door and stopped in the lobby to ask directions.

Andrea was up on the 8th floor, so he proceeded to the elevator. He remembered the first time he took her out, and he wished he could go back and tell the stupid kid he was to cherish her and never to drink again.

The elevator opened, and he walked out onto a floor where the hustle and bustle of lawyers, paralegals, and various office employees made him instantly dizzy again.

He tried to focus on anyone's face, but they were all moving too fast.

"Can I help you?" a man asked him when it became evident that he was disorientated.

"Is Andrea Harrison here?" he asked.

"Just a minute," the man said briskly and disappeared back into the madness.

Merle was flipping through a magazine in a waiting area next to the elevator when Andrea finally appeared.

"Yes?" she asked abruptly. "Can I help you?"

Merle looked up at her and lost all of his words.

"Merle?" she uttered, recognizing him then.

Her expression shifted two or three times, and he compiled some words to send out into the silence between them.

"I'm sorry to come here but...I was just hoping I could talk to you for a minute."

"What could you possibly have to say to me after all this time?" she asked, and he could tell she was upset to see him.

Maybe it really was the biggest mistake of his life.

"I promise it won't take long and you don't have to say anything," he rambled.

"I don't get it! Why now? Why not years ago?"

He looked around at all the people who thankfully weren't taking any notice and then back at her.

"I was so stupid then...I was for a long time."

"I'm a little busy," she sighed.

Merle was desperate, and he hated himself for what he did next but he just needed 5 minutes, and telling her was maybe the only way he could get it.

"This might be the only chance I get to talk to you...please."

"What are you talking about?" she pressed.

"I'm sick...maybe terminally sick. I know that's not your problem, but I swear this won't take long."

Her face drained of color, and she sat down next to him.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, looking down at her hands.

"It's a brain tumor; they said they'll let me know in a couple days if it's cancer. I feel like such an asshole dropping this on you but-"

"Come with me," she said, standing up and leading him to her office.

The incredible corner office had floor to ceiling tinted windows, a huge desk, art on all the walls and he looked around in amazement.

"I always knew you'd become partner somewhere," he smiled as she shut the door behind them. "This is just how I pictured things for you."

When he looked at her face again, he was disgusted with himself to see that she was crying softly.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry!" he winced. "I'm so fucking sorry!"

She walked toward him and reached out slowly to touch the wool toque on his head.

"It ain't nice," he warned, shifting away from her but she ignored him and took it off anyway.

"Oh God!" she sobbed.

"Told ya," he shrugged. "Scary, right?"

He took the hat back from her; he was feeling like a bit of a freak show.

"Merle, I'm so sorry."

"It's OK. I'm actually here to say sorry to you."

"You don't have to," she insisted. "I'm not mad."

"I still need to say it, and I promise it'll be fast, I know you're busy."

She was wiping her tears with a Kleenex and nodded to him that he could continue.

"You tried to help me with my problems, and I never thanked you properly for that. Most of the time I was throwing your kindness back in your face by rejecting it and continuing to drink. I know I betrayed your trust over and over again and I know now how much I hurt you. You were always too good for me, but, God bless you, you tried to help me anyway. I just want you to know that it did finally sink in and I managed to stop drinking about six months after you threw me out. Maybe I had to lose you to see what I was doing to my life; I had to hit rock bottom before I really understood what my addiction was costing me. If there were do-overs in life...I would treat you like you deserve and never let you go."

"I forgive you, Merle," she whispered and then pulled him into her arms where he broke down as well.

"I swear I didn't mean to come and mess up your day," he sighed.

"It's OK; I'm glad you came."

She released him and took a step back, and he felt like a jerk for ruining her makeup by making her cry.

 

"I'd still love to talk if you're not busy. Did you want to come for lunch?" she asked. “I may not have been as busy as I suggested.”

"Yeah, if you got the time...I have to tell Axel, though. I can't drive anymore, so he's waiting downstairs for me.

She was trying to clean up her face in a mirror on the wall and said she'd come right down with him.

Merle still felt awful for bringing her pain, but getting to spend lunch with her would be a memory he'd be hanging onto as long as he had left.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little story moves quickly because is was a oneshot that grew bigger than expected. The main focus of the story is the time they spend together while he's waiting for his results and how it affects them both. Hope it's not too miserable, but I LOVED writing it. Teagan XOXO  
> Thanks for reading.

_ **CHAPTER THREE** _

Andrea walked to the elevator with him and couldn't seem to keep her composure. She'd spent years telling herself that she hated him, always knowing that it was bullshit.

He had hurt her so badly so many times, but the truth was that she always wished it had worked out.

They were so mismatched yet so perfect together that it could only be described as tragic that it ended.

Merle was a courier driver when they met, and he delivered paperwork to her office when she was still working her way up the ladder. He still worked as a courier and Axel was still his boss, so at least that hadn't changed.

He'd give her this shy smile, and his hands would tremble just a little as he handed her the clipboard to sign for the packages.

The mild flirtation had started innocently one morning when he scribbled a smiley face on the box he was delivering, and it made her giggle. He did cute things like that all the time, even at the end when their relationship was falling apart. Merle always tried to make her smile.

She reciprocated the next day by dotting the i in Harrison with a heart, and he turned bright red which is the very moment she fell for him. She had found herself looking forward to seeing his face the few times a week that he'd come and it was her who ended up asking him out. Andrea could still clearly remember the stunned expression on his face when she asked him to go to a movie with her that first time.

_**/** _

They made it out to Axel's car where Merle explained that he'd be finding his own way home.

"Thanks, though. I really appreciate you coming with me."

"It's nothing, just be careful, OK? If you get dizzy or have any more of those headaches, then call me," Axel warned.

"I will, I promise."

Andrea said hello to Axel who she'd known from back when she and Merle had been together.

"I'll make sure he gets home OK," she assured him.

 

Andrea picked a casual place for lunch and Merle was glad of that, he was already feeling exhausted and wanted to slouch a little in the booth.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"I'm just tired, I get wiped out doing almost nothing these days," he chuckled.

"You're strangely upbeat about all this," she noted.

"Not all the time. The mood swings are pretty insane," he sighed. "I go from blubbering in my bed and planning my own funeral to saying "fuck it" and pretending I'm not scared."

"I still can't believe this," she answered. "When will they be letting you know exactly?"

"Supposed to be Wednesday morning."

"It must be horrible to wait," she winced.

"It's fucking brutal, I think that's why I made the ridiculous decision to come find you. I'm losing my damn mind, and I can't even tell anyone but Axel."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Daryl is over in Iraq with the Army, and his wife is home with my niece, so I don't wanna say anything until I know for sure."

"I'm sure they'd like to know, you shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"I told him I'd look out for her and she's got enough on her plate without worrying about me."

"I'll wait with you then," she said, reaching her hand across the table to touch his. "I just wrapped up a big case, so I'll work from home until Wednesday...I'll wait with you."

"You're being way too nice to me," he smiled.

"We had a lot of good times too," she answered.

"We did, didn't we?"

The food arrived, and she watched him eat the same grilled cheese and onion rings he always did, and she recalled all the times she teased him about it.

_**/** _

_**"Are you ever going to start ordering grown up food, Merle?"** _

_**"Huh?"** _

_**"Someday we'll be 70 years old, and you'll still be dipping your grilled cheese sandwiches in ketchup?"** _

_**"And you'll still be eating rabbit food."** _

_**"It's salad."** _

_**"Rabbit food."** _

_**"What am I going to do with you?"** _

_**"Keep lovin' me like a bad habit?"** _

_**"Always...you keep eating your grilled cheese, babe."** _

_**/** _

"You OK?" he asked when he noticed that she was just staring at his plate.

"Yeah, I was just a million miles away," she smiled.

"Somewhere nice?"

"Somewhere really nice," she nodded.

They ate in silence, and she wondered how seeing him had brought back so much emotion so quickly.

_Was it just because he was sick?_

_Did it make her an asshole to be feeling so much out of sympathy?_

_Was there ever a bad reason to feel strongly for another person?_

"Would you have enough energy to go to Arabia Mountain tomorrow?" she asked as they finished their food.

"God, Arabia Mountain! That's where we...."

Merle paused and shrugged his shoulders; it wasn't really appropriate to bring up after so long.

Merle had hiked with her up that treacherous mountain and fucked her senseless at the top, right under a tree. It was that weekend, while they were camping and fishing, that they first said I love you. By contrast, on another camping trip not too long after that, Merle had gotten shit faced and wound up in a fistfight with a man who tried to hit on her. Every time he drank, his self-esteem plummeted, and he presumed that she'd be looking for someone better. His jealousy often got the better of him back then.

The good and bad memories were all lumped in together now in a big regretful mess.

_**/** _

Merle was stunned when she suggested that they go back to her condo for the evening, he'd had no expectations like this. He was exhausted, but he wanted to spend time with her more than he wanted anything else. She called her partner at work and explained that a personal issue had come up and that she'd be working from home until at least Wednesday.

“Is that OK?” he asked.

“It's fine; I can do everything I need to from home.”

He paid for lunch, and she drove them to her condo which was right in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The underground parking, doorman, and immaculate interior made him afraid to touch anything inside her home.

"Come," she offered, pointing to the couch. "You look wrecked...I guess I should have driven you home."

"I'd much rather be with you if I have any choice in the matter," he said, sitting down on her oversized sectional.

"I never thought I'd see you again...this is really throwing me for a loop, to be honest."

"I just had to see you; I probably should have thought it through instead of just dropping by but I wasn't thinking right."

"I'm glad you came, Merle. I'm glad I get to spend some time with you."

"Me too, this is more than I was ever expecting. I woulda been happy if you just didn't smack me," he laughed.

Andrea sank down next to him and just looked at him in silence.

"Five years," she said absentmindedly.

"Long time...you sure did set the world on fire, though," he noted looking around at all of the expensive furniture and art around her home. The view of the city out the window surely cost a million dollars alone.

"It's just stuff," she sighed. "This place is just a pretty box that I sleep in all alone."

"Not for lack of offers, though, right? I could never keep close enough to you to stop other men trying to take you away from me," he chuckled.

"There's just no time, and I never meet the right people."

"When you have more time, you'll find the right man, and he better be good enough for you...you've had shitty taste in men in the past," he teased, pointing to himself.

"I used to love your self-deprecating humor, but I can't laugh at that right now," she said softly.

"Sorry...I just don't wanna see you sad."

"Me neither, but I can't pretend to be OK with this."

Merle knew what she meant, but there was no way to make the situation better.

She suggested they watch a movie for old time's sake and he agreed happily. He'd sit and stare at the walls with her all night if she suggested it.

Andrea walked off to her bedroom and changed into sweats, grabbed two bottles of orange crush from the fridge and made popcorn.

When she closed the curtains and sat next to him, he wanted to kick himself harder than ever before. He wanted all the time back that he'd lost, time was the most precious commodity now.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

_ **CHAPTER 4** _

It was like a time warp, he looked over at her silhouetted face and it could have easily been six years ago.

She put on Tombstone because it was the one movie they could always agree on back in the day but he couldn't care less about the movie.

“Do you feel OK?” she asked, suddenly turning to him.

“I'm good...I can't believe I'm with you right now.”

“If someone told me this morning that I'd be sitting here watching Tombstone with you I'd never believe it either. Life is funny, isn't it?”

“My life feels more like a comedy of errors,” he laughed.

“I'm kinda pissed off actually,” she sighed.

“Why?”

“Cause you've been sober for four and a half years and that's the main reason we broke up.”

“Would you have given me another shot, though? You were pretty pissed off.”

“I might have been a little pissy at first, to be honest, but I was pretty easily persuaded by you if I remember it correctly. I was mainly angry about the drinking and the way it changed you. When you were sober, we never had issues.”

“I should have tried to call you,” he mused.

“As long as you're here now, that's all that matters,” she smiled.

“Woulda, shoulda, coulda...that's about all I got left.”

“Whatever the results are...I want you to know that I'm going to be here for you.”

“That means a lot to me, Andrea...it means everything to tell you the truth....I'm scared.”

Her face radiated such sincere human sympathy to him, and as she came closer he knew he was going to break down a little, he couldn't help it.

“Come here,” she whispered to him, taking him in her arms. “I'm going to be right next to you, Merle...I won't let go.”

“I'm not ready to go yet,” he wept. “I can't stop thinking of not breathing anymore...I'm fucking scared, Andrea.”

“I'll be with you,” she repeated, gently holding him closer to her while avoiding bumping his head.

For a long time she just held him, and after a good half hour, he found himself drifting off but he couldn't fight it. The warmth and comfort of her body next to his, the dimness of the room and his exhaustion from the day's events were too much.

_**/** _

Andrea realized that he was sleeping with his face tucked into her neck just like the old days and she smiled to herself.

The idea of waking him when he was so exhausted seemed so unfair, so she gently took his phone out of his pocket and texted Axel.

_**~ Hey, it's Andrea. We went for lunch, and we were just watching a movie at my place but he fell asleep, and I don't want to wake him.** _

_**~ Thanks for letting me know. He can't be left alone right now, so I'm glad he's with you.** _

_**~ anything I need to know about his condition?** _

_**~ he gets dizzy, nauseated and tired really easy. He needs to keep the staples clean and if there's anything weird just take him to the hospital.** _

_**~ I can handle that** _

_**~ I'll be honest, I was kinda thinking you might not be so excited to see him.** _

_**~ It's all water under the bridge; I want to be there for him** _

_**~ Thanks, Andrea. I know it means a lot to him to see you.** _

_**~ Me too** _

She put Merle's phone back in his pocket and just watched him sleep. The hat was half slipped off his head, and she winced at the red line on his scalp and the metal staples holding the wound together.

Andrea pulled a fleece blanket off the back of the couch to cover them both up and decided to roll with the moment; it felt so good to hold someone again, it had been forever for her.

Her life had been nonstop work for years since they broke up and she hadn't really felt anything but stress for all of that time. No real moments of joy, anger, sadness or excitement...just stress.

She felt deep sadness now, but it was at least a feeling.

Andrea lay on the couch next to him and closed her eyes, thinking of all the cuddling she used to get with him.

There were heated fights, yelling matches that became bitter at times but the quiet times when he'd hold her made the bad times seem much less bad.

_**/** _

“ _ **Get over here, honey.”**_

“ _ **No!”**_

“ _ **Come on, I'm sorry.”**_

“ _ **I can't do this anymore, Merle.”**_

“ _ **I know...I'm trying.”**_

“ _ **Try harder; I'm sick of you missing work and staying out all night! You aren't a kid anymore.”**_

“ _ **I'm sorry...come here.”**_

“ _ **Stop it!”**_

“ _ **What?”**_

“ _ **That puppy dog face! You know I'm a sucker for that crap!”**_

“ _ **I can't sleep without you, Andrea, come to bed.”**_

“ _ **You're lucky I can't sleep without you either.”**_

“ _ **That's right...lemme wrap you up tight so you can't go nowhere.”**_

“ _ **I'm not going anywhere, but you need to look into getting some help or something.”**_

“ _ **I can stop on my own, honey. Just watch, and you won't even recognize me in a month...don't give up on me yet.”**_

_**/** _

Andrea didn't know what the hell was possessing her, but she needed to be close to him. She hadn't thought about Merle in a long time but now that he was right next to her and possibly dying; she just wanted to hold him while she could.

With her arm snaked around his waist she noticed that he felt different to her, he was thinner than before. She moved in closer and closed her eyes, taking in the familiar smell of his cologne.

When Merle opened his eyes at midnight he was startled to find her asleep in his arms but also so happy he could hardly think straight. His head was aching, and he felt a little sick to his stomach, but he didn't want to wake her.

He reached into the pocket of his coat to get a pill and tried to collect saliva in his mouth to swallow it, but she woke up from his movement.

“What do you need?” she whispered in the dark.

“Just gonna take a pill...my head hurts.”

She rolled over and looked at the time on the clock and realized that he'd be staying the night since it was midnight.

“I'm going to get you some water to take your pill and then we can sleep in my bed. This couch is comfy, but my bed is a hundred times better.”

She stood up, and he took his time getting to his feet to prevent the dizziness that would often strike him after laying down for a long time.

“I shouldn't sleep in your bed, honey,” he sighed.

“It's OK, Merle, it's just to sleep.”

“I feel a little pukey...I'd never forgive myself if I got sick in your bed.”

“I'll bring the garbage can...stop being stubborn.”

Merle got up and followed her down the hall to her bedroom, and she told him to get into bed while she grabbed him water.

When she came back in he was pulling off his t-shirt and hoping she wouldn't mind.

“Here's a ginger tablet as well,” she said, handing him the water and a pill. "They help with nausea without making you drowsy.”

“Thanks.”

“Let's get some sleep,” she smiled.

He stripped to his boxer shorts and pulled back the covers of her massive king sized bed and slithered in.

Andrea walked to her closet and grabbed a men's undershirt to sleep in; she hadn't changed at all.

He watched in agony as she took everything off and slipped into a fresh pair of panties and the undershirt.

“Ain't nothing you haven't seen anyway, right?” she shrugged and turned off the lamp to get in next to him.

“Thank you, Andrea. This was the nicest day I could ask for.”

“It was nice. Wasn't it?” she answered. “Maybe tomorrow will be even better.”

She was way on the other side of the bed, but it was so much closer than he ever thought he'd get to her.

“Get over here,” she yawned, and he squirmed over to her like a puppy at feeding time.

Andrea held him all night long, and he tried really hard to pretend that he wasn't sick, that he never lost her in the first place and that she was his wife...reality was so ugly.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

_ **CHAPTER 5** _

Merle woke up disorientated in the morning until he felt Andrea squirming next to him. The alarm on her nightstand was playing a song that he didn't recognize, but he liked the sound of it. Sad songs should have been the last thing he wanted to hear, but he was a little hooked on them recently.

 

 _ **I miss those blue eyes**_  
_**How you kiss me at night**_  
 _ **I miss the way we sleep**_  
  
_**Like there's no sunrise**_  
 _ **Like the taste of your smile**_  
 _ **I miss the way we breathe**_

 _**But I never told you** _  
_**What I should have said** _  
_**No, I never told you** _  
_**I just held it in** _

_**And now,** _  
_**I miss everything about you** _  
_**Can't believe that I still want you** _  
_**And after all the things we've been through** _  
_**I miss everything about you** _  
_**Without you** _

  
Her blonde hair was messy and covering half of her face, and he wanted to move it to kiss her lips.

His heart felt like it was swelling too big for his chest and he knew that if he did end up dying she'd be the very last thing on his mind. It felt like the first morning he woke up with her and he grinned when he thought of it, it was still crystal clear.

_**/** _

“ _ **Thank God you're still here.”**_

“ _ **You thought I'd go?”**_

“ _ **Thought maybe you'd be sober this morning and realize you slept with the delivery guy from work.”**_

“ _ **I wanted to, I assure you.”**_

“ _ **So I was OK then?”**_

“ _ **Merle, you were perfect.”**_

“ _ **Good, honey...just wanted to be sure it was good for you.”**_

“ _ **You're a funny guy.”**_

“ _ **Why do you say that?”**_

“ _ **I spent half the night moaning your name, and you still question if it was good?”**_

“ _ **I had to check...I really want this to happen again.”**_

“ _ **Me too...maybe tonight.”**_

“ _ **Sweet! If it keeps being good then maybe we can do it forever?”**_

“ _ **Deal.”**_

_**/** _

The word bittersweet didn't even do it justice.

Andrea woke up and held onto him for a while, and they just talked, it felt so normal and yet so strange. The comfort level was uncanny, and she didn't even flinch when he pulled her close and trailed his fingertips up and down her back. Just touching her felt good and made his problems seem far away.

“I just need to do a little work this morning, and then we can drive out to Arabia if you still want to.”

He was watching the pulse beating in her neck and trying not to kiss her there when she repeated the statement.

“Oh...sorry. Sounds good to me. I'm just happy to be with you.”

“Why does this feel so normal and right, Merle?” she sighed.

“I don't know about you, but it feels good to me cause I still love you.”

“Merle-”

“I'm sorry. I wouldn't normally blurt that out, but this whole sickness thing has either made me really brave or really stupid, I can't decide which.”

She touched his face then, and he could see his whole life in her eyes.

“I'm sorry I ended it now...I still love you too.”

“Don't be sorry, honey, you had to walk away, I understand that. I was no good for anyone at the time, and it was getting worse.”

“Can you stay until you see the doctor?” she asked.

“Would you come with me?”

“Of course.”

Andrea kissed his forehead softly and then got up to take a shower and made breakfast for them both.

“How's your head?” she asked.

“Mangled,” he laughed. “I'm OK right now.”

They ate pancakes and maple syrup, and she did some work on the computer as he stepped out onto her balcony to call Axel.

“So she just asked you to stay the night?”

“We just fell asleep, and by the time it dawned on us it was midnight. Actually, she wants me to stay until I go to the doctor tomorrow.”

“Seriously? Wow! That went better than expected,” Axel exclaimed.

“I know, I can't believe it myself.”

“Call me if you need me, Merle. You know I'll be right there.”

“I know, buddy, and I do need you a lot.”

“Enjoy your time with her, Merle, and keep your head up.”

“I'm trying.”

“You better call me the second that you talk to the doctor.”

“I will.”

“...I love you, man.”

“Love you too, you sappy fucker,” Merle laughed.

Merle drifted from falling apart himself to trying to cheer Axel up; it was emotionally exhausting, but he had no choice except to deal with it however he could.

_**/** _

By noon Andrea was all caught up with her work, and they were ready to go. Merle had spent the morning relaxing on the couch and watching her type, so he felt well rested.

The sky was blue, and the clouds were puffy and pure white; it was the kind of day you dream of as a kid.

She kept checking in to see if he was OK and he assured her that he was feeling great, and he was. Being next to her was healing in so many ways.

There wasn't going to be any hiking in his condition, but they did end up renting a boat to drift around the lake for the afternoon.

Merle's head was hot in the toque, and he ran his hand underneath to wipe away the sweat.

“Hey, you can take that off,” she insisted. “There's a nice breeze right now.”

“I look like a nutcase,” he shrugged.

“Merle, it's just me and you in the middle of the lake. Take it off.”

He relented and did as she asked and she pressed that it was no big deal.

“It's behind your right ear; I can't even hardly see it when I look at you.”

“You're sweet,” he grinned.

He looked up at the mountain they had climbed the last time they came and couldn't help smiling like a fool.

“What?” she asked, turning to see what he was smiling at.

“Nothing.”

“You'd never make it up that mountain today,” she teased.

“I'd be useless to you by the time I got to the top if I did anyway.”

They drifted on the water aimlessly for hours until she decided that he should get out of the sun and have something to eat.

“Let's see if we can't find you some grilled cheese,” she giggled.

The surroundings were so beautiful that he forgot all about Wednesday morning for great spans of time.

Andrea sat with him at a picnic table under a bunch of tall pine trees to drink lemonade and eat food purchased at the state park concession.

“Sorry, no grilled cheese, babe,” she smiled, handing him a basket with a cheeseburger and onion rings.

“This is fine,” he assured her. “Thank you for taking this time with me, Andrea. I keep forgetting that everything actually sucks in my life...only you could make me smile right now.”

“I'm not going anywhere, Merle. No matter what happens, I'm gonna be right here. OK?”

“Thank you; I don't know how to do this alone.”

By early evening they were back on the boat, and he was taking pain pills and ginger tablets again.

“Guess we better go,” she sighed, holding onto his hand.

“You wanna watch the sunset first?” he asked.

“You OK?”

“Not really, but I want to see it with you before we go.”

 

The sky began to darken, as orange and purple appeared slowly above them. The colors reflected up off the surface of the water and he tried to memorize everything about the moment like preparing a final memory.

“I wonder if it's too late to write a bucket list,” he sighed.

“You're still here, so it's not too late...you still don't know if it's cancer, Merle.”

“I know, but I can't let myself be hopeful right now. It'll kill me if I believe I'm gonna be OK and then I'm not.”

“What would you put on the list?” she asked.

“A bunch of dumb stuff probably...I always thought it would be cool to go up in a hot air balloon, but I'm shit scared of heights,” he laughed.

“I've done that!”

“Yeah? Is it scary?”

“At first it is, but it moves nice and slow, and after a while, it's fascinating how much you can see down on the ground. The air is cooler up there, and it's kind of exciting. We should do that together; I'll hold your hand,” she insisted.

“There ya go, I got my first thing on the list.”

“What else?” she asked. “Think of something really out there...like if you could do absolutely anything in the whole world.”

Merle closed his eyes and grinned widely, thinking of making love to her on her king size bed. He imagined himself without the staples in his scalp, a full head of hair and with the 25 pounds back that he'd lost. He pictured himself with energy and stamina and without a damn brain tumor. She'd be crying out his name and repeating how much she loved him and how good it felt.

“I know you're thinking something good now, tell me,” she giggled.

“Can't tell you,” he grinned.

“Come on.”

“Nope, it's a secret, and besides I'm not looking to piss you off right now.”

“Pretty please,” she whined playfully.

Merle sighed and kept his eyes on the sunset as he told her.

“If I could do anything in the whole world, I'd get you back and spend the rest of the time I got making love to you,” he shrugged. “Sorry.”

Andrea moved closer to him in the boat, and before he knew it, she was kissing him. With the last moments of the sun shining golden light on her beautiful face and a gentle breeze blowing, he began to question if he was already in heaven.

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

_ **CHAPTER 6** _

Back at Andrea's condo that night, she insisted on taking his clothes to wash and that he take a bath in her huge soaker tub, he looked drained.

“It'll make you feel better, trust me,” she grinned.

“I haven't had a bath since I was a kindergartner,” he laughed.

“It's about time you tried it again then, that tub is half the reason I bought this place.”

Merle got undressed and started the water running in her bathroom. It felt strange to be in her place like he lived there, but he needed to be close to her, and she seemed to want him to stay. She was the only one who could stop him panicking all the time.

Merle stepped over the edge of the deep tub and sank down into the hot water; it was heaven.

He touched the staples on his head and couldn't wait to get them out, they itched like crazy, but he could barely even touch them cause it felt bruised and sore still.

He took a bottle of her body wash and smelled it; it was so nice that he poured a little in the water to make bubbles.

She knocked on the door a few minutes later, so he turned off the water and called for her to come in.

She grabbed his clothes off the counter to wash and nodded that she would give him time to relax alone.

“You were right about baths,” he sighed, picking up a handful of water and splashing it over his face.

“Can I do you a favor?” she offered.

“You've been doing me nothing but favors since I tracked you down but I'll take one more,” he smiled.

She walked over and sat on the ledge of the tub and told him to lean forward a little.

Andrea proceeded to rub his back with a soft washcloth, and he closed his eyes to savor her touch, it was beyond his wildest imagination.

"Feel good?" she whispered.

Merle groaned and leaned his face on his crossed arms on the opposite edge of the tub as she continued to rub right down to his lower back.

"It feels so nice, Andrea...thank you."

She kept it up for another few minutes and then told him to take his time and come out when he was ready.

She left a pair of sweats on the counter, and he melted back into the hot water for another twenty minutes.

They had a quick bite to eat, and he took more ginger tablets since they worked even better than the other pills he'd taken for nausea, he hadn't thrown up since he'd been with her and he was grateful for that.

“What time do you need to be there in the morning?” she asked.

“9 am. Are you sure you wanna come? I'm gonna be a mess tomorrow.”

“I'm coming, and you can fall apart as much as you need to...come to bed.”

Merle settled into her bed again with a pair of her sweatpants on and sighed heavily thinking it might be the last good night where he could still play ignorant to the facts of his condition.

Andrea slipped under the covers and turned out the light and the room went black. She had the bedroom door shut this time, and he couldn't even make out her shape in the dark.

“You still there?” he laughed.

He wanted to hear her voice, and he wanted her to touch him, he felt so much more alone in the dark now.

Like an answered prayer she came closer and wrapped her arm and leg around him, and he was home.

Tomorrow would maybe be the worst day of his life, and it might never get so good again, but right in that moment he was home, and he was happy.

Merle wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close hoping for another kiss; her kisses were the best.

“Wanna mess around a little?” she whispered.

“Yes!”

_Was there really any question?_

She touched his cheek and moved closer, till he could smell the mint of her toothpaste, and kissed him softly.

Face to face with her perfect leg sliding around his hip; he was desperately hard in only minutes.

“You're that guy I fell in love with all those years ago, Merle...you came back to me.”

“I hope I can stay.”

“No matter what time we get, I want you with me.”

“Me too, honey.”

She rolled over toward him and snuck her hand down under the covers to touch him.

“Sweet Jesus,” he moaned when her hand closed around the shape of his dick through the sweats.

“Are you allowed to do this?” she purred.

“It sure won't be my finest work, but I can very gently rock your world if you like,” he teased.

“Gently is just fine.”

Soon he was urging her out of her clothes and coming back into contact with the only body he ever wanted to touch. Her skin was just as smooth and warm as he remembered and he kissed every single inch of her. Her ticklish neck, the trail down between her breasts to her soft belly and down even further to the altar of her loins.

“No hair pulling, though,” he joked.

She giggled and then she felt the slippery, smooth perfection of his tongue on her wet lips.

Andrea reached over her head to grasp the rails of the headboard as he teased his way from her entrance to her clit and back down again.

He hadn't lost his touch over the years, and he remembered exactly how she liked it.

She couldn't hang on long, and she didn't hold out at all. He was a sick man, so she wasn't going to make him work any harder than necessary.

It crept up fast regardless, and she could feel his fingers inside her, teasing her to the door of the plane where she was happy to leap out at any moment.

“Oh, baby...oh God...Merle!”

Her back arched and he slowly let up as she became more sensitive from her release. She couldn't imagine anyone else doing it this right; he still knew her body so well.

He sounded wiped out as he lay back on the pillow and sighed with satisfaction. She remembered how proud he always was to please her.

_**/** _

“ _ **Like that, do ya?”**_

“ _ **...yeah.”**_

“ _ **Thought you were gonna pull out my hair!”**_

“ _ **Sorry.”**_

“ _ **Hell, I don't care! You do what you gotta do.”**_

“ _ **You're amazing, Merle.”**_

“ _ **Glad ya like it. What I lack in technique I make up for with enthusiasm.”**_

“ _ **You were definitely enthusiastic, and the technique was...incredible!”**_

“ _ **I could go down on you all day if my neck would hold up.”**_

“ _ **I couldn't take it that long; you'd wipe me out.”**_

“ _ **Well, just so you know I would do it.”**_

“ _ **I know you would, that's why I love you.”**_

“ _ **Love you too....goodnight, babe.”**_

_**/** _

“It's like sleeping with a 90-year old, hey?” Merle joked at his own expense. “I just can't do it all like before.”

“It was perfect,” she insisted. “Let me take care of you now.”

She teased him with her mouth, but he couldn't hold on very long before he was begging for more.

“Do you have a condom?” he asked.

“Don't need one,” she panted.

“Really?”

“We're good.”

Andrea settled herself on top of him and kissed his lips slowly before taking him in and checking a dream off of his bucket list. She was still on the pill, and if this turned out to be one of the last times he'd have sex, she wanted it to be condom free.

Merle couldn't see her very well, but he could feel everything, and it was amazing.

“I never dreamed I'd get to make love to you again,” he breathed.

“It's so good,” she hissed. “We'll do this as long as we can, baby.”

She moved on him in a steady rhythm, and he could swear she was going to cum again.

“How did I ever let you go?” she whined, rolling her hips and breathing heavy.

“You had to, honey...it's OK.”

Merle lay his hands on her open thighs and thanked his lucky stars for the last couple days. Having her back in his life made him think that anything was possible.

He wanted to do his part at least a little, so he rolled her onto her side and finished up making love to her face to face.

“I love you, honey...” he moaned feeling it coming down like a waterfall.

Andrea pulled him in tight with her leg around his hip and gasped weakly as he came and melted into it with him.

“You're so good, baby....you do it so right,” she cried, and he was grateful to have pulled it off. He was honestly exhausted, but nothing would stop him taking the chance to make love to her except death itself.

_**/** _

“I don't know what to do if he says it's cancer...what am I supposed to do or say?” he asked when it was over and she was holding his head gently to her bare chest.

“I don't know...I really don't,” she confessed. “Whatever he says, just know that I'm going to be right there with you and you won't be alone.”

“Thanks...I kinda roped you into this, didn't I? It's pretty selfish to come around and get you to care again just to make you watch me die. I didn't mean to do that; I just wanted to see you again.”

She began to cry again, and he wished he hadn't said it that way, he was just thinking out loud. Facing something like this made him feel blunter about things like there was no point in sugar coating anything anymore.

“I'm sorry, honey.”

“I can't understand why fate would have you come back into my life just for me to lose you...the fact that we still love each other has to mean something, right?” she asked softly.

“I sure hope so. I really don't feel ready to go right now.”

“You're not going anywhere without a fight,” she sniffed. “I want you here with me.”

The first year they were together, Andrea had to have an outpatient surgery, and Merle stayed all day fussing over her until she was released. She hated hospitals and doctors, but he never left her side, now she'd have to go with him to the hospital on potentially the worst day of his life. She dreaded what they might hear, but she'd be holding on tight no matter what.

_**/** _

“ _ **Wake up, sleepy head.”**_

“ _ **Mmm...water.”**_

“ _ **Here...can you raise your head at all?”**_

“ _ **Thanks.”**_

“ _ **You in pain?”**_

“ _ **No...just dopey.”**_

“ _ **I was so worried about you, Andrea.”**_

“ _ **I'm OK...just tired, and I want to get out of here.”**_

“ _ **Good. You aren't allowed to not be OK, got it?”**_

“ _ **Got it.”**_

“ _ **I get to take you home when you can stand up but don't rush.”**_

“ _ **Thanks for staying, Merle.”**_

“ _ **I'll never leave you alone in the hospital; I know you hate it here.”**_

“ _ **I love you.”**_

“ _ **And I love you right back.”**_

__

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

_ **CHAPTER 7** _

The morning came much too soon and he felt anxious and terrified. Andrea was already up and sat on a chair in the corner of the room with her head in her hands.

“Honey?”

She looked up and faked a smile for him.

“It's already 7:45...we need to go soon,” she said.

“OK...I really shouldn't have done this to you, Andrea.”

“Don't say that.”

“If I just got sick and never came to find you, I could have just slipped away, and you would never have had to think about it.”

“I want to think about it.”

“But you look so sad.”

“I am sad; I'm absolutely devastated, but I'd rather be feeling every drop of this pain and get to be there for you than have you doing this alone. No matter what he tells you today, we got a chance to make things right between us, and that's a good thing, right?”

“Of course, but I don't want to bring you pain, honey.”

“This pain is worth it.”

_/_

The drive to the hospital was like being driven through a dream, and he stared out the window at passing scenery praying that he'd get to stay with her.

She kept the radio off, and when she put the car in park at the parkade, she reached for his hand but didn't say a word. _What could anyone say at a time like that?_

They just walked to the office in the deafening silence.

He stood at the front desk and waited for the receptionist to finish his call.

“Merle Dixon to see Dr. Ndeke.”

“You can come right back; you're the first patient today.”

“Thank God,” he sighed.

The receptionist looked at him knowingly.

“Results?”

“Yep.”

“Good luck, Sir.”

“Thanks.”

Merle took Andrea's hand and sat across from the doctor's chair and waited for the doctor to come in.

“I love you,” she said softly.

“I love you too...thanks for coming with me.”

She never let go of his hand, and he realized at that moment that if he had to go, then he could find some peace in it as long as she was with him.

When Dr. Ndeke entered the room, he shook Andrea's hand, and Merle introduced her as his girlfriend.

“I'll get right to the point because I'm a decent human being. It's not cancer, but-”

“Oh thank God!” Merle exclaimed.

“Just a moment, Mr. Dixon, that doesn't mean you're completely out of the woods yet. You still need surgery to remove the rest of the mass, and that does have some risks as well but...hell, it's good news!” the doctor relented.

Andrea got up and pulled him into her arms, and they kissed like they were alone as the doctor tried to explain all of the details of the surgery and what kind of tumor he had.

Dr. Ndeke gave up for a moment and waited for them to stop crying and kissing.

“You good now?” he asked when they finally sat down again.

“Sorry...go ahead,” Merle smiled.

“Your mass is known as a Meningiomas, and if it were any smaller, we would probably just leave it. Yours is causing your unpleasant symptoms of vertigo, nausea, and loss of appetite, so we'll be removing it this week, and then you'll need someone to take care of you while you're recovering."

“I'll do that,” Andrea insisted, rubbing his hand in hers and smiling like she'd just won the lottery.

“I'm sorry you had to wait for these results, but we need to be sure before we say anything.”

“I understand...but it was hell on earth.”

“I know. Making people wait for this information is a part of my job I hate but giving this kind of good news is the best part.”

_**/** _

When they got back to Andrea's place, he called Axel and promised he'd be home later that day with Andrea to celebrate.

"I need to call Carol too," he sighed.

“Go ahead,” Andrea smiled.

She went to the kitchen to get them a cold drink and give him some privacy.

 

“Hello?”

“Carol?”

“Hey, stranger! How's it going now? You feel better?”

“I actually had some pretty serious health issues lately...”

“What do you mean? Are you OK?”

“Yes, but for about a month now I thought I might have cancer.”

“What?”

“I had a biopsy recently, and I just got the results today, and I'm OK.”

“Jesus, Merle! How did you not tell me this?”

“I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry you or Daryl. You two already have too much on your plate.”

“Merle, you're my brother in law! I want to know if you're dealing with something like this. Don't you ever keep something like this from the people who love you again!”

“Calm down, honey!”

“Don't you honey me! I love you, you goof! Daryl and Sophia love you! You need to let us be your family.”

“I will, I'm sorry.”

“It's alright,” she sighed. “I'm just so glad you're OK.”

“I still need brain surgery, but it's not cancer, and I should be fine after that.”

“Good Lord, Merle! Brain surgery? Please don't keep things like this to yourself.”

“I'm praying I never have something like this to keep to myself again.”

“Me too.”

“Also...I got Andrea back,” he grinned, just slipping it into the conversation.

“Stop it!”

“Seriously,” he insisted.

“You're just full of surprises aren't you? How the hell did that happen?” she laughed.

“It's a long story, but I'll tell you everything at Sophia's party.”

“I can't wait to hear it. I take it you'll be bringing Andrea?”

“I haven't asked yet but if she can make it then probably, she's a big time lawyer now.”

“That makes sense,” Carol said.

“I gotta go but, I won't be keepin' any more secrets.”

“Love you, Merle.”

“Love you too, kiss Sophia for me.”

_/_

The rest of the day was spent in bed, holding each other, making love and talking about the past and the future.

“When I get better I'm gonna hike up to the top of that damned mountain again and fuck you silly,” he grinned.

“I'm taking you up in a hot air balloon,” she added.

“Then I'm going to take you camping so we can go fishing and make love under the stars,” he insisted, kissing her neck and pulling her closer.

“Then I'm going to drive a big truck to your place and bring all your stuff over here and make you live with me,” she giggled.

“If you do that then I'm buying you the nicest ring I can afford and proposing to you.”

“Fine! Then I'm going to have 6 of your babies and keep you with me until we're 100 years old and can't even remember each other's names,” she laughed.

“Just gonna keep lovin' me like a bad habit, huh?” he teased.

“Yes,” she said, looking right through his eyes and into his soul. “You're mine now, and I'm never letting you go again.”

Merle just smiled and snuggled his face into her neck, he was still tired, but he knew that brighter days lay ahead and he was more grateful than he could express in words.

Waiting for the results had been hell on earth, but it led him to her, and that's all that mattered anymore.

 

 

_ **EPILOGUE** _

 

“You ready to go?” he asked, picking up the overnight bag and standing by the door.

“No,” she winced.

“Are you scared?”

“Yes, but I know it's going to be OK.”

“Of course it will, the hard part is over now.”

“Are Daryl and Carol going to be there?”

“That's what they said, Sophia too.”

“OK...let's go.”

_**/** _

Four hours later Andrea was laying and staring up at a bright light with oxygen in her nose and her heart racing.

“You OK?” Merle asked, leaning over to kiss her through his hospital mask.

“No...I feel pukey.”

The anesthetist gave her some Gravol through her IV and within a minute or so she felt a little dopey but no longer nauseated.

“Now I'm all 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' dopey,” she giggled.

“That's OK, honey. You be as dopey as you like,” he smiled.

About 10 minutes later she was startled by the sound of her own child screaming his head off.

Merle was filming the whole thing and commenting like it was a sporting event.

“What a big baby! You did so good, honey!”

“I want to see him,” she begged.

“Just a minute, honey. They're just weighing him and checking him out, but he looks perfect!” Merle gushed.

_**/** _

Back in the recovery room, she held their son for the first time and then passed him around to her family members and Merle's. Axel arrived as well to offer congratulations and see the new Dixon boy.

“He's a fine looking boy, a big guy like his dad!”

Merle had gained the weight back, and a little more on top of that and his son was a 9-pound baby right at birth. Feeling healthy again was great, he had energy for days and made love to Andrea almost every night.

Three years had passed since Merle's cancer scare, and every year since then his CT scans came back clear. They could never know if it would return or not, but he and Andrea had living to do, and nothing would stop them from doing just that.

The five years they'd spent apart were rarely discussed; the past was never a hot topic in their home, it was always the future they focused on.

Merle never forgot how close he'd come to losing not just Andrea but his whole life and it made every single moment more precious and sweet.

Never did a day pass that they didn't laugh and feel gratitude for getting each other back, and never did a night pass that they didn't hold each other and remember to say I love you.

_**~ The End ~** _

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
